To Love Another Person
by Nopride4531
Summary: Prompt (requested by anon): 'Hook comes home after a long voyage at sea to find Emma and Henry dead in the Charming's apartment. Bonus points if Emma is still barely alive. Mega bonus points if they died by a jealous Neal's hand.' Rated T for violent imagery.


**Prompt (requested by anon): 'Hook comes home after a long voyage at sea to find Emma and Henry dead in the Charming's apartment. Bonus points if Emma is still barely alive. Mega bonus points if they died by a jealous Neal's hand.'**

**See end of chapter for notes (and apologies for feels).**

* * *

"Emma? Emma, love, I forgot my coat."

Hook rapped his knuckles lightly on the door and was thoroughly surprised when it swung ajar. That was odd, even for Storybrook's definition of the word. Emma _always_ locked her door, as he'd found out in New York, and the fact that she hadn't this time sent shivers up his spine. Nevertheless, he shrugged the feeling away and pushed the door open...

Only to run into a frantic looking Baelfire.

"Hook," he breathed and the pirate in question frowned.

"Are you alright there mate?" He asked, reaching out a hand to steady the man. "You don't-"

"I'm fine!"

The retort was as sharp as a cracking whip and it took all Killian had not to flinch. Instead, he narrowed his eyes into a menacing glare.

"What are you even doing here?"

"I, uh... It's my turn to take Henry, but I forgot he had school today. I'll just-"

Without another word, he shouldered past Hook and half walked half ran down the hall, leaving the bewildered pirate staring after him. Shaking his head, Hook walked into the apartment and shut the door behind him with a soft click. He saw his coat lying on the couch, picked it up, and turned to leave, but stopped at the sound of soft, quiet sobs. He felt his heart hammer in his chest as he walked toward the crying, quickening his pace when he saw drops of scarlet blood on the floor.

But when he reached the kitchen, he froze.

If someone had reached into his chest and pulled his frantically beating heart out, he wouldn't have been surprised. In fact, he would welcome the feeling, for it would be far less painful than what he was experiencing. For a moment, all he could do was stare, rooted to the spot, salty tears welling in his eyes. But he soon found himself falling to his knees next to a terrified and hysterical Emma.

And in her arms was a very pale and very limp Henry.

Blood coated the lad's face, his hair, and everything in between. To Hook's horror, there was a large hole in the center of his forehead, which had long since stopped leaking blood, but was still dark with coagulated crimson.

"Emma," Hook said softly and gently placed his hand over one of hers. "Emma, what happened? Who did this?"

But he knew. Oh gods, he knew.

"N-Neal," Emma barely managed to stammer and clutched Henry closer. "He... he came barging in, demanding that Henry... go with him... as long as I was... seeing you."

He didn't like the way she was speaking. It was too... broken, too soft, almost as if she was-

"Killian..."

He looked over at her and swore loudly as she collapsed into his arms, her face too pale and bearing so much pain. Leaning so that his back was resting against the counter and she was in his lap, Hook carefully moved Henry away from her and settled him on the floor. Emma's chest was covered in blood as well, and he knew that it didn't belong to her son. No, it was too bright and still flowing as her heart beat out of time. With a sob, he pressed his hand against the wounds, desperately trying to staunch the bleeding...

Even though he knew it was futile.

"I love you."

The whisper was so quiet and so broken that he wasn't sure if he'd heard it or imagined it. But as he looked down into Emma's eyes and saw the undeniable love there, he knew that it was real.

And it hurt. It hurt so much.

"...I know. Emma... I know."

The ghost of a smile formed on her lips as he brushed his own against her forehead. With one last final sigh, she went slack in his arms and her head fell into the crook of his arm.

"Emma? Love?"

No response.

"Gods, Emma..."

His thumb slowly stroked her cheek as tears streamed down his face. He pulled her tighter against his chest and buried his face in her hair, quiet sobs escaping from his throat.

She was gone.

And he didn't want to live. Not anymore.

And after he'd destroyed Baelfire once and for all, he knew that he wouldn't.

* * *

**Notes:**

**I am so sorry if any of you are permanently scarred after this, but I had to write it, seeing as though it was promised in the rules of my 50th Follower Extravaganza. I hope that the anon (and all of you as well) liked it. Please review!**

**-Nopride**


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